MKT 3350 CH. 13
service
-any tangible offering that involves a deed, performance or effort that cannot be physically possessed -method to maintain sustainable competitive advantage
SERVICE QUALITY DIMENSIONS tangible
-appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, communication materials
knowledge gap: understanding customer expectations
-can reduce knowledge gap -undertake customer research and increase interaction or communication between managers and employees -customers expectations are based on knowledge and experience -expectations can vary depending on type of service and situation
FACTORS DIFFERENTIATING SERVICE FROM GOODS intangible
-cannot be touched, tasted, or seen like a pure product can -highly challenging for marketers -difficult to convey benefits of services -offer cues to help customers experience and perceive service positively
emotional support
-concern for others well-being and support of their decisions in a job setting
an easy way to manage customer expectations is to..
-coordinate how the expectations is created and the way the service is provided
TYPES OF FAIRNESS distributive fairness
-customers perception of the benefits he/she recieved compared with the costs (inconvenience or loss)
ways to close knowledge gap
-determining what customers really want by doing research using marketing metrics such as service quality and zone of tolerance
SERVICE GAP MODEL communication gap
-difference between actual service provided to customer and service that the firms promotion program promises
SERVICE GAP MODEL delivery gap
-difference between firms service standards and actual service it provides to customers
SERVICE RECOVERY STRATEGIES finding a fair solution (type of fairness)
-distributive -procedural
service recovery
-effective recovery efforts can increase customer satisfaction, purchase intentions, positive word of mouth
standards gap: setting service standards
-employees must be thoroughly trained to complete tasks and how to treat guests -managers need to set an example of high service standards
how to close communication gap
-firm must be realistic about services they can provide -manage customer expectations effectively
how delivery gap can be closed
-getting employees to meet/exceed service in delivery by empowering service providers -provide support and incentives -use of technology
the communication gap: communicating the service promise
-if a firm promises more than it can deliver, customer expectations wont be met -dissatisfied customers are more likely to tell others about bad service
key to distributive fairness
-listening carefully to customer -customer typically wants tangible resolution
SERVICE GAP MODEL standards gap
-pertains to the difference between firms perceptions of customers expectations and the service standards it sets
HOW TO CLOSE DELIVERY GAP use of technology
-provide wider variety of services, greater degree of control by customer over the service, and the ability to obtain information -improves providers efficiency and reduce servicing costs -maintain competitive advantage
SERVICE GAP MODEL knowledge gap
-reflects differences between customer expectations and firms perception of those expectations
service gap
-results when service fails to meet the expectations that customers have about how it should be delivered
FACTORS DIFFERENTIATING SERVICE FROM GOODS inseparable production and consumption
-service is produced and consumed at the same time -customers rarely have opportunity to try service before they purchase it and can't return it
SERVICE RECOVERY STRATEGIES listening to customers and involving them in the service recovery
-service providers should welcome the opportunity to be a sympathetic ear, listen carefully and appear/be eager to rectify the situation to ensure it doesnt happen again -when customer participates in the resolution, the results are more positive
how to close the standards gap
-setting appropriate standards -training employees to meet/exceed standards -measuring service performance
to define the zone of tolerance, firms ask questions about each service quality dimension that relate to:
-the desired and expected level of service for each dimension from low to high -customer perceptions of how well the focal service performs and how well it accomplished service performance from low to high -importance of each service quality dimension
SERVICE RECOVERY STRATEGIES resolving problems quickly
-the longer it takes to resolve, the more irritated the customer will become and more people they will tell about bad service
TYPES OF FAIRNESS procedural fairness
-the perceived fairness of the process used to resolve them -customers want efficient complaint procedures over outcomes they influence -providers empowered with procedural flexibility to solve complaints
HOW TO CLOSE DELIVERY GAP support and incentives for employees
-to ensure service is delivered properly, management needs to support service suppliers in several ways and give them incentives
FACTORS DIFFERENTIATING SERVICE FROM GOODS heterogeneous
-variability in a service quality -marketers can use micromarketing segmentation to customize service -can replace people with machines
ways to support and reward employees
1) emotional support 2) instrumental support 3) support from managers must be consistent and coherent throughout organization 4) provide rewards for excellent customer service
reasons that the dependence of services has grown
1) less expensive to maintain in less developed countries 2) people have high value of convenience and leisure 3) people demand more specialized services
effective service recovery demands:
1) listening to customers and involving them in the service recovery 2) providing a fair solution 3) resolving the problem quickly
percentage that services account for in US GDP
76%
marketing research provides
a means to better understand customer service expectations and their perceptions of service quality -expensive and extensive
SERVICE QUALITY DIMENSIONS reliability
ability to perform the service dependably and accurately
some of the best service providers include
amazon zappos LL Bean nordstrom
economies of developed countries such as the US have...
become increasingly dependent on services
FACTORS DIFFERENTIATING SERVICE FROM GOODS perishable
cannot be stored for use in future, therefore firms must watch demand/supply
voice-of-customer (VOC) program
collects customer input and integrates them into managerial decisions
service quality
customers perceptions of how well a service meets or exceeds their expectations
the service gap model
designed to encourage systematic examination of all aspects of service delivery process and prescribes the steps needed to develop an optimal service strategy
HOW TO CLOSE DELIVERY GAP empowering service providers
empowerment- allowing employees to make decisions about how service is provided to customers -more important when service is individualized
to resolve a problem quickly...
firms need clear policies, adequate training for employees -empowered employees
zone of tolerance
important metric to evaluate how well firms perform on five service quality dimensions -refers to the area between customer expectations regarding desired service and minimum level of acceptable service
a very straight forward and inexpensive method of collecting consumer perceptions of service quality..
is to gather them at the time of the scale -another method--> making effective use of customer complaint behavior
service model gaps
knowledge gap standards gap delivery gap communication gap
SERVICE QUALITY DIMENSIONS assurance
knowledge of and courtesy by employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence
expectations are created through:
promotions advertising personal selling
customer service
refers to human or mechanical activities that firms undertake to help satisfy their customer needs and wants
service quality dimensions
reliability responsiveness assurance empathy tangible
factors differentiating services from goods
services are: intangible inseparable heterogeneous perishable
instrumental support
systems and equipment to deliver the service properly ex: store kiosks
SERVICE QUALITY DIMENSIONS empathy
the caring, individualized attention provided to customers
SERVICE QUALITY DIMENSIONS responsiveness
willingness to help customers and provide prompt service